One Piece: 8 Characters Sanji Will Surpass At The End Of The Series

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This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga.

Sanji, the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates, is a remarkably strong and dependable pirate in the world of One Piece. As one of Luffy’s most powerful crew members – part of the ‘Monster Trio’ – he consistently features in thrilling and challenging fights created by Oda.

Sanji has already had some incredible fights, and the final arc of the story promises even more. These upcoming battles will likely establish him as one of the strongest characters, exceeding the power of fighters like Gaban and even Rayleigh. His potential is truly immense.

Gaban

The Left Arm of the Pirate King

Scopper Gaban was a member of the legendary Roger Pirates, the crew that found the One Piece. He was famously very strong, even claiming to be the second most powerful member after Roger himself. Many fans believe Gaban filled a similar role in Roger’s crew as Sanji does in the current Straw Hat Pirates.

Gaban demonstrated his power during the Elbaf arc by defeating Sommers with a single blow. Sanji is expected to eventually become as strong as, and even stronger than, Gaban.

Rayleigh

The Right Arm of the Pirate King

As a huge One Piece fan, I’ve always been fascinated by Roger’s right-hand men, Rayleigh and Gaban! While Gaban loves to brag he was the stronger one, Oda actually shows them as pretty evenly matched. And honestly, knowing how much potential Sanji has, and how he’s destined to become stronger than Gaban, I fully expect he’ll eventually surpass even Rayleigh during the Final Saga. It just feels inevitable!

Kaido

A Former Yonko of the Sea

For a long time, Kaido was the Straw Hat Pirates’ greatest enemy. As one of the Four Emperors, Kaido was incredibly powerful, and it wasn’t until Luffy unlocked Gear 5 and mastered Conqueror’s Haki Coating after awakening his Devil Fruit that he was finally defeated.

Although Kaido is incredibly powerful, Luffy will eventually exceed his strength, with Sanji playing a key role in that growth. Kaido will seem much less imposing when the final arc of the story unfolds.

Kizaru

A Powerful Marine Admiral

As a huge One Piece fan, I have to say Kizaru is easily one of the most fascinating Marine Admirals! He really shone in the Final Saga, and a lot of that comes down to just how incredible his Devil Fruit, the Pika Pika no Mi, is. It’s seriously overpowered and makes him a force to be reckoned with!

Sanji consistently performs well against Kizaru in battles against the Marines, mainly because they share similar strengths – both are incredibly fast and rely heavily on kick-based attacks. Their brief clash on Egghead suggests Sanji is closing in on Kizaru’s power level.

Dracule Mihawk

The World’s Strongest Swordsman

Mihawk is a legendary figure in the world of One Piece, known as the World’s Strongest Swordsman. He’s incredibly powerful and has been Zoro’s biggest rival since the beginning of the series.

Zoro and Sanji are consistently improving at the same rate, and just like Zoro is destined to become stronger than Mihawk, Sanji will eventually surpass him too. It’s likely that Sanji’s ultimate potential is even greater than Mihawk’s within the One Piece story.

Kuzan

A Former Admiral Turned Blackbeard Pirate

Kuzan, who used to be known as Aokiji, was one of the most powerful characters in the Marines in the series One Piece. After a fierce battle with Akainu on Punk Hazard, which he lost, he left the Marines and now serves as the 10th captain of the Blackbeard Pirates.

By the time One Piece concludes, Sanji will almost certainly be more powerful than all of the Admirals, including Kuzan. There’s even a possibility they’ll battle, potentially because Kuzan was responsible for taking Pudding from Whole Cake Island.

Sora

A Mythical Individual

I’m totally fascinated by Sora in One Piece! They’re such an enigma, almost like a legend within the series. It’s wild how the Marines have used them for propaganda, but I have a feeling the real story is way more complex. I’ve been thinking, what if Sora wasn’t just some random figure, but a seriously powerful warrior… maybe even connected to Sanji’s family history? It would explain so much!

Sanji will eventually surpass even this incredibly powerful opponent, who might even be from the ancient Void Century.

Saint Mars

One of the Five Elders

The Five Elders arrived on Egghead and showed that the Straw Hat Pirates, even with Luffy, aren’t powerful enough to defeat them yet. They represent a major obstacle for the Straw Hats, and the crew will need to master Advanced Conqueror’s Haki to stand a chance – a skill Sanji is likely to develop soon.

If Sanji had to battle any of the Five Elders (Gorosei), his best chance would be against Saint Mars, who possesses a unique Devil Fruit known as the Itsumade Yokai.

The next chapter of One Piece, chapter 1163, will be released in two weeks, as usual on a Sunday. While it becomes available in Japan at midnight on Monday (JST), most international fans will be able to read it on October 26, 2025. You can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-10-21 13:35